In this episode, I speak with Bruce Friedrich the Executive Director of the Good Food Institute (GFI) and founding partner of New Crop Capital about innovations in the plant-based protein and cultured/clean meat and how these new technologies are building a future where meat can be produced without animals. 

 

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About Bruce Friedrich 

Bruce has had a long career working at non-profits like PETA and Farm Sanctuary and is now shifting his focus away from direct animal rights activism to the plant-based and clean meat space. When it comes to understanding the future of food, there are few people who know more than Bruce.

Why You Should Listen

In this episode, I cover the following with Bruce:

Transforming the Food Industry:

• The way Bruce sees it, the animal agriculture industry is riddled with inefficiencies. From the cost of producing grain to feed animals, rising concerns over antibiotic resistance spawned from raising animals in close confines, and the low yield for actual meat produced, this industry is actually very unstable. In this episode, Bruce talks about transforming the industry from the inside out with the help of technology. GFI is helping to fund research and innovations in clean meat, which is produced in a lab using animal cell cultures, in addition to plant-based proteins.

What Consumers Really Want:

• When it comes down to it, consumers are really only interested in a few things when shopping. Bruce breaks down the key factors that go into purchasing decisions and provides insights into how companies that make plant-based proteins and clean meat can compete with meat and dairy in the supermarket.

Decoding the Science Behind Animal-Free Meat:

• Bruce dives deeper into the research that is being done to make clean meat possible and discusses the specifics related to how companies and scientists are creating plant-based proteins that can perfectly mimic meat. There is a lot of mystery around how meat can be “grown in a lab,” but Bruce explains that the science being used is actually the same that we’ve been utilizing in regenerative medicine for years. With this in mind, Bruce breaks down the hurdles that lay ahead for companies that are working to scale up meat alternatives and outlines who the major players are and what to look out for in the near future.

….and lastly, how soon can we expect an animal-free meat industry?

People/Companies/Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Good Food Institute (GFI)
• Jeremy Coller
• F.A.I.R.R.
• Mercy for Animals
• Impossible Foods
• Mark Post
• Sergey Brin
• Li Ka-shing
• New Wave Foods
• Cargill
• ADM
• Hormel
• Wageningen University and Research
• Tyson
• Tyson Ventures
• Memphis Meats
• Clean Meat Mind Map
• Meating Place Magazine
• Clara Foods
• Geltor
• Perfect Day

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